May 2013

“Remember, Elements describe the general temperament of your personality. Qualities describe the general modus operandi of your personality…”

Did you realize there is more to an astrological profile than the Star Sign (aka Sun Sign, Birth Sign) you were born under? In fact, your astrological profile is a complex and multi-layered, making you unique. In basic terms, it involves a Sun, Moon and Ascendant Star Sign, with each equally important. Then you have your planets, each with an astrological sign. Plus, all of these signs have characteristics assigned to what are called Elements (see our post, What’s Your Element…) and Qualities. We have written about the Elements, but here we want to give an overview of the Qualities. Remember, Elements describe the general temperament of your personality. Qualities describe the general modus operandi of your personality: There are three Qualities in total (Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable) with four signs assigned to each.

Cardinal is the Quality for the Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn astrological signs. Cardinal signs represent the cardinal points on a compass, with Aries representing East, Libra/West, Cancer/North and Capricorn/South. Note, that on a birth chart, the “compass” points are opposite of what we normally consider north, east, west, south directionally). This Quality and its associated Signs corresponds with the Natural Houses, which are angular (remember from our Basic Architecture of a Birth Chart post that there are 12 Houses), of the Zodiac Wheel: Aries in the 1st House of You; Cancer in the 4th House of Home, Libra in 7th House of One-on-One Relationships and Capricorn in 10th House of Career. They also herald the beginning/end of each of the four seasons…making way for change, new life, possibility. Generally, folks with Cardinal quality are self-starters, leaders, and dynamic. if they’re not careful, they can run roughshod over others.

Fixed is the Quality assigned to Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. These folks tend to be very stable with depth of purpose, but sometimes they can lose sight of flexibility in situations that actually warrant (and succeed with) a change of opinion or approach. This Quality represents the “middle” of each season, or the “stable” part or the status quo/routine of a season. If you change the routine for some of these folks, they can dig in their heels like no other! The best thing is to ease them into a change, or make it seem like their own idea! That said, you’d want these folks on your side in any battle. They can be stalwart champions.

Mutable is the Quality assigned to Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces. Mutable signs change “with the wind,” able to adjust to whatever the demands are of the moment. They also can take on characteristics of the other two Qualities, making them highly adaptable to situations. Because of this adaptability, they often can offer the remedy that is called for in a particular situation. On the job they can be excellent managers. This Quality corresponds with the end/beginning of each a season, a time of transition and acceptance that it’s time to move on to what’s next.

To determine what your personality’s Quality actually is not just about your Sun Sign (Birth Sign) is. A birth chart analyses should take into account the Qualities of your Sun, Moon, Ascendant and planets, and then tally them in total (For more on what makes up a birth chart, read Basic Architecture of Birth Chart). You could have a Cardinal Sun but Mutable Moon and Ascendant, and planets having all three Qualities. In that case, with your Moon and Ascendant and several planets of Mutable Quality, it’s likely you’d exhibit more Mutable Quality characteristics that that of the Element of your Sun Sign, Cardinal. So you see, there is much more to your Star Sign—and you’re a complex and unique individual, maybe similar to others in some ways, but truly with your own birth personality.

“The reputation of solar eclipses (and Lunar) have come a along way — from once being thought of by astrologers (and anyone who cast a gaze skyward) as omens of doom to “opportunities” in modern times.”

The New Moon and Annular Solar Eclipse on May 9-10, 2013, takes place in the Astrological Sign of Taurus. Astrologically speaking, the Sun rules our essence, our vitality. Similar to Lunar Eclipses (April’s Scorpio Partial Eclipse), Solar Eclipses can offer opportunities for new beginnings. The difference between the two being that those of the Moon can influence our emotional self, while the Solar variety can influence our basic essence or vitality. To take advantage of these opportunities, both involve a conscious decision to perform inner work, but with Solar Eclipses, the goals and results tend to manifest in more tangible, outward results. This particular eclipse offers opportunities to embrace new energy for those who have Celestial Bodies with which the Sun, and New Moon, come into direct aspect. Since it occurs in Taurus, Fixed Signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius) stand the most to gain this time around—if they do the work. This is especially so for those of you who have a Sun, Moon, or Ascendant in Taurus that is within a few degrees or less of the Eclipse.

The House that Taurus rules in your natal chart, and to a certain extent the House where Taurus’ Ruling Planet Venus resides, is where these new energies can play out. For example, if Taurus rules your 1st House, you might take the opportunity to focus on how you present yourself to others, possibly by making an effort to be the life of the party or of your social scene. If it rules your 2nd House, you could decide to focus on your personal finances so that you feel more secure, such as by initiating or enhancing a longterm savings plan for that rainy day (or that certain luxury item!). Furthermore, opportunity lies where you have any natal Celestial Bodies in tight conjunction with the Sun in Taurus or residing elsewhere in your chart that are in hard aspect (opposite or square) to the Eclipse. These opportunities would manifest specifically to that Celestial Body’s interpretation. For instance, if the transiting Sun is conjunct Jupiter in the 11th House (Groups, Organizations, Astrology, Aviation), you might find that you want to become engaged in a volunteer organization or community project, even as the leader.

Another “node” of importance: The Solar Eclipse is always opposite the Transiting North Node. In this case, the transiting NN is in Scorpio. It is popular astrological thought that the angle/point the natal NN forms in your chart symbolizes the path you need go, or “grow”, toward in this lifetime. The same could be said of the Transiting North Node’s Sign and House placement at the time of a Solar Eclipse: The Sun illuminates the path to the NN, on the opposite side. In this case, the NN in the Sign is Scorpio. For example, if the Sun (Solar Eclipse) is transiting your 11th House in Taurus, then the NN is transiting your 5th House (Creativity, Sports, Love, Children), it could be that you use the energy you gain from the 11th House to open up your creativity or vice versa.

Not to complicate matters further, but Venus also transits on May 9, from its comfy home sign of Taurus to Gemini (the sign of variety, communication and business). Since Venus is the Planetary Ruler of Taurus, it could take along some of the Solar Eclipse in Taurus energy with it, conjuring up a variety of opportunities for you!

Omen or Opportunity?The reputation of solar eclipses (and Lunar) have come a along way — from once being thought of by astrologers (and anyone who cast a gaze skyward) as omens of doom to “opportunities” in modern times. Now, what you choose to do with the opportunity is the catch (remember free will). Will you choose to be a couch potato and let change slip by, or will you choose to use this special eclipse energy to get up and make something happen in your life that will positively impact who you are for the longterm?Our suggestion, especially to those of you who have Fixed Sun, Moon or Ascendant Signs and directly aspected Celestial Bodies: Get off the couch, make a longterm plan for positive change and take the first step to act on it. And, as we’ve said before, all else will follow.

Astronomically SpeakingUnlike a Lunar Eclipse that always occur with a Full Moon, the Solar Eclipse always occurs with a New Moon. As myastrologylife.com understands it, with an Annular Solar Eclipse, the Sun and Moon are in direct line with each other, but due to the moon’s elliptical orbit around Earth and the Earth’s around the Sun, the moon appears smaller than the Sun. The result: the Sun forms a small ring (aka annulus) of light around the Moon’s outer edge.Long ago (possibly as far back as 700 B.C. and maybe up to at least 800 A.D., it was a popular theory that the Moon was “shining” during this sky event. (This was likely during partial and annular eclipses). It wasn’t until the early- to mid-19th century astronomers understood (thank you telescopes) that this “shining” was actually light from the Sun!

Shown: Annular Solar Eclipse on May 20, 2012. Taken from Red Bluff, California, by Brocken Inaglory. It’s reported by NASA that those living Down Under as well as in French Polynesia have the best chance of catching a glimpse of 2013’s Annular Solar Eclipse.

2013 Solar & Lunar Eclipse Schedule

Partial Lunar Apr. 25 in Scorpio

Annular Solar May 10 in Taurus

Penumbral Lunar May 25 in Sagittarius

Penumbral Lunar Oct. 18 in Aries

Hybrid Solar Nov. 03 in Scorpio

Myastrologylife.com makes every effort to share knowledge throughout our website and social media that is fact checked and researched. However, please let us know if we have presented inaccurate and/or incomplete information so we can rectify any misinformation.

“…one can safely wager that Adele (or any Taurus) does not enter into — or exit from — anything lightly or quickly, but when she does, she’s wholly committed.”

Adele (born May 5, 1988, near London) could be considered a perfect poster child for the Taurus Sun Sign. The Grammy and Academy Award Winning Diva exudes earthy Taurean energy with her sultry contralto voice (Taurus rules the larynx, so most of them have distinctive voices and a flair for singing), cozy sex appeal (an Earth Element ruled by Venus, these folks are irresistibly attractive in a real-people kind of way), and financial savvy (there is a reason the Bull is this astrological sign’s symbol — and Wall Street’s). And, of course, there’s love, a favorite topic of Adele and her Sun Sign’s planetary ruler, Venus. Taurus is a Fixed Quality so these folks need to be bullish on whatever do next. As a result, one can safely wager that Adele (or any Taurus) does not enter into — or exit from — anything lightly or quickly, but when she does, she’s wholly committed. This is true whether its a relationship, a song (“21” speaks volumes for both of these) or business (when she said she was going to take a break from writing another hit album to enjoy her current relationship and have a family, she meant it).

Several astrology sites report Adele’s birth time as 3:02 a.m., If that’s correct, she would have an Aquarius Ascendant, but myastrologylife.com can’t confirm this birth time so we’ll refrain commenting on her Ascendant. However, since her birth date and place of birth are public knowledge, we can feel confident about her Sagittarius Moon Sign. The Sag Moon and its Fire Element are likely responsible for Adele’s emotionally frank — and even idealistic despite the frequent use of four-letter words — communication style, both on stage and off. And then there’s her sparky personality for which her interviews have become famous. Now, in the throws of blissful (we hope) marriage and motherhood, it’s a sure bet many are eagerly awaiting her next onstage tune(s), especially after hearing the sexy, cinematic hit “Skyfall”. It is, in a word, Awesome. And a hit that only a poster child for the Taurus Sun Sign could produce… .

“Transiting CBs, depending on which ones they are, can have brief influences lasting less than a day (transiting Moon) to several days (transiting Mercury) or even years (transiting Pluto) as they come into contact with each of your natal CBs.”

Do you know the difference between your “natal planets” and “transiting planets’? First, when we say “planets” we say this loosely and also mean it to include luminaries (Sun and Moon). So we generally reference “planets” as Celestial Bodies when speaking of them as a group. Each one of us has the same CBs in our birth charts: Sun, a Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. The difference is in their positions at the time of each person’s birth. Imagine that a chart’s wheel is like a lock’s tumbler, you “turn” it until it clicks into place, finding the “combination” for the celestial bodies at your birth time. And there they will remain for your entire lifetime. Maybe a simpler analogy is that it’s a snapshot or birth print of capturing the sky’s architecture at time of your birth. As a result, if your Sun sign is 16 degrees Libra in the 6th House, it will always be 16 degrees Libra in the 6th House. If your Mars is 13 degrees Pisces in the 12th House at the time of your birth, your natal Mars will always and forever be 13 degrees Pisces in your 12th House (that planet of action is going nowhere!) This snapshot or birth print is exactly what we look at in the Birth Personality Profile.

Now, onto transiting “celestial bodies”. First, celestial bodies are not “ours,” they are the universe’s, or specifically, our Solar System’s. As you know, the celestial bodies are constantly in motion, or orbit. When one or more of these transit, or come into contact with, one or more of our natal celestial bodies, angles or points during its orbit, this contact might impact you in some way. This is exactly what we are looking for in the Major Transiting Planets Analysis…If the transiting CBs are contacting one or more of your natal CBs at a certain time or period of time and, if so, how it might affect you. Transiting CBs, depending on which ones they are, can have brief influences lasting less than a day (transiting Moon) to several days (transiting Mercury) or even years (transiting Pluto) as they come into contact with each of your natal CBs. Knowing this additional information can be very helpful to each of us in navigating through our lives. For example, if transiting Mercury is conjunct your Midheaven (the highest angle/point of achart that represents one’s public life, career, life’s goal) you could experience communication or travel related to your career.

Shown: sample birth chart for Albert Einstein with the transiting CBs in blue on the outer edge of chart wheel and the natal CBs within the chart wheel, in their Natal Houses. The different colored lines all represent aspects the transiting are forming with the natal CBs, as well as those formed between the natal CBs.